Procedure for the written exam (DGA1032)

At this stage of the doctoral exam, the Research Director should have already sent the members of the panel of examiners a copy of the research specifications that were prepared by the student within the context of the Research Problematics activities (DGA1031). The members of the panel of examiners consult these specifications in preparing their questions for the written exam.

The written exam comprises a follow-up exam and a dissertation, each of which counts for 50% of the total for the written exam.

The follow-up exam must include the following (total of 50 points):

Questions pertaining to the required subjects in the field of activity related to the thesis (35% to 45%);

General knowledge questions related to current affairs or subjects of general interest in the fields of science and technology (5% to 15%).

The follow-up exam is administered in a classroom, on the date that is set by the Program Director, and the student has a maximum of 3 hours and 30 minutes to answer the questions. Reference material is permitted, and the student can consult any necessary documentation on-site in order to answer the questions and demonstrate mastery of the subject. An access to a computer or a wifi device can be aollowed, if requested by the research supervisor.

The dissertation must include the following (total of 50 points):

One or more themes involving the specialized fields that are specifically related to the subject of the thesis. The delivery of these themes may require the use of computer tools.

The dissertation is a document written by the student, the themes for which are given to the student at the completion of the follow-up exam. The student then has a maximum of 7 consecutive days after the date of the follow-up exam to submit the dissertation to the Bureau des cycles supérieurs (Graduate and Ph.D. studies office). Any dissertation that is submitted after this date must be accompanied by documentation justifying the delay (medical note, death certificate, etc.), failing which, the dissertation will be rejected.

In addition, the dissertation must respect the following conditions:

It must include a presentation page;

The font used must be Times New Roman (12 pt) or Arial (11 pt);

The linguistic quality must be appropriate;

A sufficient number of copies must be sent to the Dean of Studies Office (one copy for each member of the panel of examiners).

2. Preparation and transmission of the exam questions

In order for the student to properly prepare for the written exam, the Research Director will inform the student of the list of reference materials recommended by the panel of examiners within the first two weeks of the session during which the written exam will be administered. A copy of the list of reference materials is also sent to the Bureau des cycles supérieurs.

The Research Director must ensure that the members of the panel of examiners submit the questions for the follow-up exam and the themes for the dissertation on time. It is not mandatory for all of the members of the panel of examiners to be involved in the drafting of every section of the written exam. However, at least three members must be involved in writing the questions for the follow-up exam, with each member limited to a maximum weighting of 20 points out of the total of 50.

The Research Director or the Secretariat of the Research Director’s department is responsible for verifying the formatting of the exam. The name of the author and the weighting (out of 50 points) for each question must be indicated on the questionnaire.

The Research Director must submit the written exam (in two separate sections) to the Bureau des cycles supérieurs at least 10 working days before the date set for the administration of the exam, so that the Program Director can verify the quality.

3. Correction of the exam and communication of the results

The Bureau des cycles supérieurs is responsible for the exam follow-up process. Once the student submits the dissertation, the BCS sends the dissertation and the follow-up exam booklets to the Research Director, who verifies them and sends them to the members of the panel of examiners for correction. The members only correct the specific sections of the exam for which they wrote the questions.

The Research Director then receives the results from the members of the panel of examiners, collates them, and transmits them to the Bureau des cycles supérieurs, in writing, within 20 working days after receiving the exam to be corrected, using the form entitled Résultat de l’examen écrit (Results of the written exam), which is designed for this purpose. The Research Director also informs the BCS of the proposed date for the oral exam (DGA1033) by checking the appropriate box on the form.

The Bureau des cycles supérieurs then sends the results to the student. If the student passed the exam, authorization is given to register for the oral exam (DGA1033). If not, a notice is sent by e-mail (via the student’s ÉTS e-mail address) to the effect that the student may exercise the right to repeat the exam during the next session. If this right has already been exercised, the student is removed from the program.

4. Results

The final grade for the written exam (DGA1032) is either Pass or Fail. In order for the student to pass the exam, the scores for the two sections (follow-up exam and dissertation) must total at least 70/100, and the score for each section must be at least 25/50.